Hello

Looking for advise please, my car: Skoda Octavia TDI VRS 2015 (Original Pads and Discs all around, DSG has had the part replaced due to VAG known issues in July, full service history, gearbox oil changed at 40k service in May this year as a part of its 4 year age.

 

DSG link:

 

Monday last week I was driving Edinburgh's bypass (A720) from Hillend to Sighthill when I started feeling an increased level of feedback through the steering wheel, this continued to build in the steering as vibration and resistance to wanting to steer the car as well has increased noise and pitch (Thought it was **** new tarmac on the road at the start). When I came off the motorway onto the slip road the DSG box as it down shifted was as rough as a badgers crotch running down the gears in Eco profile to the point I think the engine might stop running. This being said once I either stopped at the lights at the slip road or around it the roundabout the steering and gears all go back to normal feeling, I did stop at a garage and checked and pumped the tires up a bit and topped the engine oil up a bit (Oil stick was low on once face and high on the other?!?!? couldn't understand that one)

As the week went on it was the same nearly every day, strangely not Wednesday it was normal. But what I did start experiencing was a squealing noise as I reversed in to my driveway at night with the car on near full lock one way, this didn't happen each day just one more day until now. But what I did start noticing from that day on was horrid burning smell and an increased amount of heat from the drivers side front wheel area and the car didn't feel as free at low speeds unless I gave a good bit of a press on the peddle. This being said no noise coming from the car when doing this at any time, but as of Saturday I'm now at times getting a shuddering feeling coming from the steering and thought the drivers seat. Tonight again coming off the motorway on the way home it was a little bit rough on the road and thought the steering and again rough as hell on the down shift at the Gilmerton to Dalkeith junction. But going past Dalkeith I starting getting the shuddering again through the wheel/seat again, so on purpose I started looking for a few manhole covers on the road to see if that would unstick the brakes (Yeah I know I might be crazy) and that seemed to reduce the smell and the shuddering through the steering and seat stopped. I got it home the night and again the right wheel arch smelt of burning and it was hotter than the left wheel area, I also popped the bonnet just to make sure it wasn't that the smell was there and being released though the arch instead. The engine bay was mostly smell free thankfully.

So working on my working theory, I imagined that it might be brakes related as the original set of Discs and Pads have now done 49k miles. The roads I drive aren't always very clean, so I thought this might be possibly the front driver side brakes are not disengaging correctly and its stuck on giving me this feedback... This being said I'm worried the motorway experience with the road feedback and the DGS roughness isn't related and there is more issues.

Anyone got any thoughts, suggestions or help. Got to say I'm a bit worried at the minute as to what it could be, the timing chain is not far off at likely being next month and I'm for god sake hoping that this isn't another serious issue as there will be the 50k service, timing chain and oil pump replacement to pay for very soon.

 

I would carefully check the temperature of the alloy wheel after you have experienced the issue and compare with the other side, you could have a binding brake caliper or wheel bearing.

Pretty sure its a characteristic of dsg software that when you touch the brake pedal the down changes are different (earlier/higher revs).  If the brakes are binding then those shift points may not be as expected.  The change may require pedal input rather than actual braking.  Sometimes the coasting shift point on mine are a little rough as the revs are quite low.

If you can get someone with OBD11 to do a scan get them to check the transmission software. 

 

I did a scan of my car and it seems that there's new software available for DSG transmission, so it might well be available for your car as well, which may help you to get a much smoother gearshift. 

@TheWanderer do you know if updates have to be done by skoda / can they be done outside of the dealer network?  My closest dealer is the next town over and I don't usually have the time to take the car there and leave it for a time.

As GTI Jazz Blue says, binding brake caliper/pads would be my starting point. It would make the gearchange seem rough when the clutches are swapping over when changing gear. Momentarily when no drive is engaged, the constantly braked wheel slows the car sharply causing a bit of a nose dive.

I'd go with BigEjit says as a first step, then go for the software update as it may take a while to get the dealer to do the job. 

 

This is what I get on OBD11. 

 

Edited 19 December, 20196 yr by TheWanderer